1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic data storage medium, more particularly to an electronic data storage medium with a fingerprint verification capability, and to a standard USB flash drive with an extendable/retractable USB plug.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the increasing prevalence of computers in our lives, from work to recreation, society became extremely reliant upon storage of information in a digital format rather than in a traditional printed format. From personal information and medical histories, to multimedia content such as music and home videos, all facets of our lives now exist as digital records rather than paper records. Because of the digital format of these records and media, they can't be duplicated or relocated in a manner consistent with traditional media.
As a result, portable formats such as the floppy disk, compact disc (CD), and digital versatile disc (DVD) emerged as ways in which information could be written by one computer, and then transported to another for use. These formats were, however, inherently limited by capacity restrictions, limited numbers of “read-write” cycles, affected by slow read/write speeds, or easily ruined by temperature physical interaction with external elements. Consequently, the falling cost of non-volatile memory, combined with its portability, reliability, and speed led it to recently emerge as the leading candidate for enabling the portability of digital information.
While non-volatile flash memory has emerged because it is quick, reliable, and extremely portable, these traits render it an ideal choice for use in portable USB devices for storing and safeguarding information in a convenient and secure manner. What is needed is an improved portable USB device.